"Is it forbidden for me to listen to what you’re discussing?"

Wu Wenyue’s lips curled up, thinking to himself, you’re resigned, but those two may not be. This visit is proof; I must seize this opportunity to hide and observe what they truly think, and to see how you, this rotten thing, will converse with them!

As Wu Wenyue spoke, he was getting dressed, his thoughts racing while his eyes roved around the attic.

Wardrobe, wardrobe, where are you?

This could be said to be Wu Wenyue’s conditioned reflex, after all, he’s achieved the feat of "peeping from the closet". But unfortunately, the attic is small, and the wardrobe even smaller, at first glance it’s clear it’s impossible to hide there. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Under the bed? No, this low bed couldn’t even fit a cat, let alone me...

Finally, Wu Wenyue’s gaze landed on the only spot he could hide.

It was the window-door leading to the outside terrace. Now the glass doors were tightly shut, curtains covered both sides. If someone stood on the door’s steps and pulled the curtains, not even a foot would show!

"I’ll stay behind the curtains, whatever she talks about, you talk about that!"

Then, without waiting for Li Peifeng to reply, Wu Wenyue put on his shoes, took strides to the door, and with both hands pulled the curtains shut with a swish, perfectly sealing the gap, making it completely indistinguishable that anyone was hiding inside.

"Swish~"

But soon, Wu Wenyue pulled open a gap in the curtains, solemnly whispered, "I warn you, this is your test. You better clarify things with them now, end their thoughts, don’t keep them in confusion fantasizing about the future. If you dare to break the promise you just made to me... you know the consequences yourself!"

Threaten me? What sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty consequences haven’t I tasted? At worst, you can stab me, am I afraid of you?!

"Wu Wenyue, you’re really insane! Have you got addicted to playing hide and seek?!"

Li Peifeng cursed in his heart, but also felt a tinge of nervousness.

"Knock~ knock~ knock~~"

Knock at the door again, thrice this time, louder too, the person outside was clearly impatient.

"Coming!"

Li Peifeng responded loudly, as if he’d just heard, deliberately made a big noise putting on his slippers, and walked heavily to open the door...

The hallway’s voice-activated light was on, the door opened to forty-five degrees, revealing a mature, cool, and painfully beautiful face.

"Writing the thesis or inputting words?"

Zhao Qingge stood outside, with a serious expression, holding a plate of fruit, wearing black trousers and a white casual collared shirt on top, maybe due to her cleanliness, she wasn’t even wearing her slippers but standing in black velvet high-heeled ankle boots despite having only walked one flight of stairs.

A bit surprised, that it’s Old Zhao who came...

What’s the plan? Dressed like this, setting up a stern demeanor, is it to show care for me and bring fruit to his disciple, or to criticize and supervise my studies and work?

"Writing..."

Li Peifeng pursed his lips, moved aside, Zhao Qingge stepped inside, put the plate of fruit on the computer desk, and turned to look at the screen.

After glancing at the text, Zhao Qingge shifted her gaze to Li Peifeng: "I’ve read that fifty-thousand-word draft, it’s well-written. Now, where are you at?"

Li Peifeng glanced at the curtains out of the corner of his eye, replied, "Wrapping up the first major climax, now at one hundred fifty thousand words. Planning to write another twenty thousand, then finish this segment and publish the book."

Zhao Qingge acknowledged with a hum, then frowned: "Let me see it before publishing."

"Of course, even without your asking, I intended to have you correct it."

Zhao Qingge nodded slightly, naturally sat at the computer desk, grabbed the mouse to minimize the current document, and looked at Li Peifeng’s desktop, seemingly searching for something: "How’s the thesis revision? Have they all turned in their assignments? Where’s your project document?"

Li Peifeng stood nearby, with hands straight at his sides like a diligent student, smoothly answered: "Thesis is undergoing plagiarism check, two groups still haven’t turned in assignments, the project document is on the desktop, the folder named ’Web Literature Research’."

"Got it."

Zhao Qingge clicked the folder with the mouse, double-clicked a certain Word document inside, started reading seriously...

A good half minute passed, Li Peifeng standing there felt uneasy, simply prepared to sit with a plastic stool...

"Did I allow you to sit?"

Zhao Qingge withdrew her gaze from the screen and sternly looked at Li Peifeng.

"I... I can’t sit? Why?"

Just as Li Peifeng’s bottom was about to settle, he stood up again due to that remark, realized Zhao Qingge’s mixed feelings, and understood the purpose of her coming upstairs.

Anyway, the mentor surely isn’t here to discuss any thesis, papers, or novels. Why else seek him?

[I want an explanation! You rebellious disciple!!!]

[You’ve already met my parents, they’ve accepted you, now you’re with me... clarify yourself!!]

Confronted with Zhao Qingge’s severe facade, yet underlying panic, anger, urgency, disappointment, and other complex emotions, Li Peifeng indeed remained standing, gripping his hands tightly, glanced subconsciously at the curtains, hesitated for half a second, then sighed softly: "If there’s something to say, speak directly."

Zhao Qingge took a couple rapid breaths, tone stiff: "Say what? Speak directly? I don’t know!"